US legislation on clean energy passes first stage

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce voted to approve the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 after nearly a weeklong debate.

The 1,000-page bill aims to cut U.S. greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming by 17 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. It would introduce a ‘cap and trade’ system like the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), which forces major polluters to buy allowances from less polluting companies, encouraging them to cut their emissions so they can make a profit from selling their permits.

The legislation would also require utilities to generate more of their electricity supplies from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power.

The legislation still needs to be passed by the full House and then the Senate. The bill is expected to face much stronger opposition, particularly from Republicans, in the Senate many of which think the legislation will hurt the US economy.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill in August, but it could be early next year before the Senate takes it up – after crucial UN talks on climate change take place in Copenhagen at the end of the year.

However, this first step in the bill’s passage through the US’ legislative process is being welcomed by those that support it.

“This is a crucial first step in the US legislative journey,” said Jonathan Nash, president of the world Resources Institute, a founding member of the United States Climate Action Partnership. “The bill provides new momentum for visits to China this weekend by both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry to advance critically important discussions on links between our nations’ climate policies and strategies.”